


Raylen

by animefreak



Category: Mortal Kombat Conquest
Genre: Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 04:58:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13919856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animefreak/pseuds/animefreak
Summary: Just tying up loose ends on MKC





	Raylen

Lord Rayden, son of the Elder Gods, Lord of Thunder and Protector of Earth Realm, was walking. He didn’t have to walk, of course. He was, after all, a god. However, it amused him to walk among the mortals he worked to guard. His face shadowed by a broad brimmed, conical hat, his normally pristine blue and white garb hidden under a ragged cloak, he moved among the humans unnoticed.

At the moment, he was unnoticed because there weren’t any humans on the road. It was early morning and he was appreciating the solitude of the road as it wound its way toward the remains of a city. The bolt of energy caught him off guard and knocked him off his feet into the dust of the road.

He was back on his feet, hat and cloak gone, before a second attack was launched. He waited, tense, energy crackling around his hands, lightning playing in his eyes. Nothing. He reached out with godly senses to find the foe or prankster responsible for his undignified landing.

A tall, golden haired woman stepped out from behind a thick tree trunk. She was wrapped in blue draperies of silken fabric. Her eyes were of an indeterminate color. She stood looking at him.

“You?”

A false smile curved her nearly perfect lips. “Me.”

“Why?” He did not recognize the woman.

“Why? he asks.” She flipped another energy ball at him, deftly sliding it through his shields and knocking him back. “Why, indeed? Don’t recognize me? Don’t recognize your own frivolously squandered seed having born fruit? Not much of a god, are you?” A wall of energy materialized and slammed into him. 

He shifted through the wall and frowned at the woman. When had he – oh. Bar wench. Buxom bar wench. Buxom, willing, most enjoyable bar wench. Yes, he could detect the woman’s essence in this one. He lifted an eyebrow.

“That depends on your definition of a god. Why the anger?”

“Why the anger?” she echoed. “Have you any idea what it’s like to be the bastard offspring of a whore? And a crazy whore, at that? You told her you were a god. She wasn’t bright enough not to repeat what you told her. I was 5 the first time I got mad enough to fry the boys who were teasing me. We left town fast. Do you start to understand? When I was 13 the man who owned my mother by then also owned me. I objected to his raping me to “break me in for the trade”. I got away.”

It occurred to Rayden that he really should have checked on the wench once things settled down. Then he realized that by the time he was freed from Shao Kahn, the wench was long dead. Two hundred years passed in Earth Realm before he and the others were free. Not having powers to rely on made a god’s life difficult. What could he say? “I’m sorry to hear that. She was a very – charming woman.”

“Charming? Charming???”

“Yes. Sweet natured. Charming. Willing.”

“Oh, that I’ll give her. Always willing. Did her best, no matter how cruel people were to her. Gave her life to protect your bastard. And just where were you?” Madness flared in her clear eyes.

“OutWorld.”

“OutWorld. Just that. Someplace the gods go to get away?”

“Someplace gods who lose battles also lose their powers,” he answered her quietly.

“Battles.” Her eyes widened as she recalled her mother telling her that something was wrong just before the man disappeared and the world came apart at Zhou Zhin. “Why would gods battle?”

“When one of them wants to take a realm another one protects.” He could see that she was listening.

“You – lost?”

“The battle, yes.”

“But you’re here.”

“I escaped. I had help.”

“You had – who can help a god??”

“Friends. Care to meet some of them?” He held out a hand to her.

She stared at the hand for a very long time, then looked into his face. “You – When?”

“Two hundred years had passed before I was free.”

“Two – hundred.” A bleak look came into her face. “Not much for an immortal. Eternity -----“ She swallowed hard, blinking back tears. “She said you would come back if you could. She never lost faith in that.”

Had he told her he’d be back? He couldn’t remember in the haze of Kung Lao’s pain and his own hang over. He smiled. “She was very gentle and trusting. She was a calm place in a world that was rapidly going mad. I am sorry I caused her trouble.”

“Are you? Yes, I can see it. You are. You’re sad because she was hurt.”

“And because you were.”

A wry smile twisted her lips. “Me? I survive.”

“You should do more than that.”

A snort of laughter greeted that. “Because I’m half god? It doesn’t work that way.”

“Maybe it can now. I’d like to get to know you, if you don’t mind.”

“You –“ She struggled with her raw emotions for a moment before bursting into tears.

Rayden pulled her into his arms and held her while she sobbed, mourning her childhood destroyed by fools, for her mother taken from her in fear, for the time lost with her father. He took some of the pain from her, easing it for her, strengthening the bond between them. 

The sobs eased into sniffles and jerky breaths. She snuggled against him, a feeling of having finally found a home slid through her. “You don’t hate me?” she asked in a very small voice.

“You don’t hate me?” he echoed her seriously.

“I did,” she answered with a sigh. “Or, I thought I did. You’re not an ogre.”

“No. I’m a god.”

That got a watery chuckle and she thumped his chest with her hand. “I knew that.” She straightened and backed away from the safety of his encircling arms. Her eyes were blue under fair brows. He could see her mother in her face, in her rounded body. He could also see himself in the high rise of her cheekbones, in the height and strength of her body. 

“Would you like to meet those friends I mentioned?”

“Yes. Will you – stay around?”

“Yes. I will be around. Kung Lao will be also.”

“Who’s Kung Lao?”

“A Champion,” Rayden answered as they moved off down the road. He stopped and looked at her again. “I don’t know your name.”

“Raylen. Mom said it sounded like your name.”

“It does. I am Rayden, God of Thunder.”


End file.
